What is the difference between foible and virtue?
foible | virtue | Antonyms |
A quirk, idiosyncrasy, or mannerism; unusual habit or way (usage is typically plural), that is slightly strange or silly.
* 1915 ,
* 1959 , Meriden Record, "
(fencing) Part of a sword between the middle and the point, weaker than the forte.
A weakness or failing of character.
* 1932 , , by William Floyd
(obsolete) The inherent power of a god, or other supernatural being.
The inherent power or efficacy of something (now only in phrases).
* 2011 , "The autumn of the patriarchs", The Economist , 17 Feb 2011:
(uncountable) Accordance with moral principles; conformity of behaviour or thought with the strictures of morality; good moral conduct.
* 1749 , Henry Fielding, Tom Jones , XV.1:
A particular manifestation of moral excellence in a person; an admirable quality.
* 1766 , Laurence Sterne, Sermon XLIV:
Specifically, each of several qualities held to be particularly important, including the four cardinal virtues, the three theological virtues, or the seven virtues opposed to the seven deadly sins.
* 1813 , John Fleetwood, The Life of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ :
An inherently advantageous or excellent quality of something or someone; a favourable point, an advantage.
* 1719 , :
* 2011 , The Guardian , Letter, 14 Mar 2011
A creature embodying divine power, specifically one of the orders of heavenly beings, traditionally ranked above angels and below archangels.
* 1667 , John Milton, Paradise Lost , Book X:
(uncountable) Specifically, moral conduct in sexual behaviour, especially of women; chastity.
* 1813 , Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice :
Foible is an antonym of virtue.
In context|obsolete|lang=en terms the difference between foible and virtue
is that foible is (obsolete) weak; feeble while virtue is (obsolete) the inherent power of a god, or other supernatural being.As nouns the difference between foible and virtue
is that foible is a quirk, idiosyncrasy, or mannerism; unusual habit or way (usage is typically plural), that is slightly strange or silly while virtue is (obsolete) the inherent power of a god, or other supernatural being.As a adjective foible
is (obsolete) weak; feeble.foible
English
Noun
(en noun)- Try to look past his foibles and see the friendly fellow underneath.
- They made up for the respect with which unconsciously they treated him by laughing at his foibles and lamenting his vices.
An ounce of prevention", July 24 issue
- Final fillip in the Vice-President's study has been a boning up]] on Premier Khrushchev's favorite foible , proverbs. The bibulous Russian leader likes to throw out homely [[homily, homilies in his speeches and conversations..
- Jesus is reverenced as the one man who has lived unspotted by the world, free from human foibles , able to redeem mankind by his example.
Synonyms
* (a weakness or failing of character) faultvirtue
English
(wikipedia virtue)Alternative forms
* vertue (archaic)Noun
- many Egyptians still worry that the Brotherhood, by virtue of discipline and experience, would hold an unfair advantage if elections were held too soon.
- There are a set of religious, or rather moral, writers, who teach that virtue is the certain road to happiness, and vice to misery, in this world.
- Some men are modest, and seem to take pains to hide their virtues ; and, from a natural distance and reserve in their tempers, scarce suffer their good qualities to be known [...].
- The divine virtues of truth and equity are the only bands of friendship, the only supports of society.
- There were divers other plants, which I had no notion of or understanding about, that might, perhaps, have virtues of their own, which I could not find out.
- One virtue of the present coalition government's attack on access to education could be to reopen the questions raised so pertinently by Robinson in the 1960s [...].
- Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues , Powers; / For in possession such, not only of right, / I call ye, and declare ye now [...].
- though she did not suppose Lydia to be deliberately engaging in an elopement without the intention of marriage, she had no difficulty in believing that neither her virtue nor her understanding would preserve her from falling an easy prey.
